Prejudice
by Sandra Athrenael
Summary: There is still a hatred towards the river rats in other cities of France. Now that Vianne is one of the river people, she has to work miracles and end the boycott against her family.
1. Boycott Immorality

Prejudice  
  
Prologue:  
  
The river rats. Dreads of society, demons of the water, ship  
devils. That's what everybody in Bordeaux thought about them. Lying on  
the banks of the river Garonne, the city of Bordeaux was pray to all  
boaters, river rats or not. They thought of these people as animals,  
not unlike some of their fellow cities and towns. The citizens of  
Bordeaux hated those towns where they now were accepting those of the  
river. Change wasn't accepted. When the slight opportunity of  
difference came around, the townspeople turned their backs. They were  
happy this way.

  
Chapter 1-Boycott Immorality  
  
Monday morning. Fog enveloped the city of Bordeaux in a thick  
coating, making the air heavy, and the view cloudy. Dewdrops fell from  
trees, and collected on blades of grass. It had been this way for  
days, foggy and bleak. It was early in the morning, and the citizens  
or Bordeaux were just waking. Through the mist, a boat pulled into the  
dock. It wasn't a small boat, but neither was it big. This boat was  
home to four people, two of whom didn't like to travel, but had lived  
that way for years. To the other two, traveling was their life.  
  
****

**on the boat**

"Mama! Is this Bordeaux?"  
  
Vianne nodded and turned to her eldest daughter. "It is, Anouk.  
Go get your father and your sister. Tell them they shouldn't be  
sleeping at this hour."  
  
Vianne grinned. Anouk ran to the other side of the ship where her  
father Roux, and her adopted sister Sarah were sleeping together.

"Wake up!" She yelled. Roux jolted awake.  
  
"Anouk," he said. "Is the business of your errand so  
important that you had to wake your father?" She nodded. "Ah, it must  
be. Tell me what it is." She giggled as he pulled her down on next to  
him.  
  
"We're in Bordeaux now, Papa. Mama says you shouldn't be  
sleeping at this hour."  
  
Roux smiled. "Does she now? Well, I'll have to go talk to  
her and straighten her out, now won't I?" Anouk widened her eyes and  
followed Roux to the other end of the boat.  
  
"Anouk tells me you don't think I should be sleeping." He  
said, wrapping his arms around her waist. Vianne laughed.  
  
"No, I don't."  
  
"Ah, and may I ask why not?"  
  
Vianne smiled at him. "You may."  
  
"Then, why not?" He kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"Because, we're entering a new town and I think you should see  
it."  
  
Roux smirked. "Yes, and it would be terrible for me to miss  
a few minutes of my new home, wouldn't it?" Vianne nodded.  
  
"I'll go wake Sarah." He let go of Vianne and walked over to  
Sarah.  
  
"Wake up," He whispered, shaking her lightly. She opened her  
eyes groggily.  
  
"What is it Papa?"  
  
"Don't you want to see Bordeaux?" He asked her. She sat up and  
nodded vigorously.  
  
"Look around." He waved his arm around him and his daughter.  
She stared at her surroundings. Bordeaux was beautiful, with its stone houses and its tiled town square. Anouk jumped off the boat, followed by Sarah and Vianne. Roux took his time tying up the boat, and then joined his family ashore.  
  
"Isn't it beautiful Papa?" Anouk said in awe.  
  
"It is." He said flatly. The city didn't seem so inviting to  
him. It reminded him of all the other towns where they boycotted  
immorality. Not really immorality. Just the river rats, his family. It  
was because of the boycott that his home had been destroyed, his  
family lost, and his friends forgotten. He had to make a new home, new  
family, and new friends from scratch. Vianne and her daughter were a  
comfort for him and his four year old, but not enough of a comfort to  
stop memories from coming back.  
  
The foursome walked up the path until they reached the town  
square. There, a few people opened their doors, windows, and shutters  
to catch a glimpse at the new comers. Vianne kept her eyes on the  
street, as did Roux. But the children were different. Anouk and Sarah  
walked hand in hand, staring at the large buildings, mosaics and  
shops.  
  
"Pontouf would've loved this," Sarah reminded Anouk sadly.  
  
"I know, but Pontouf is gone, and I don't miss him. He wanted  
to be free."  
  
Sarah didn't understand. She had met Anouk and Vianne a few months  
ago, about five to be exact, and they were already a family. She had  
loved Pontouf, but now he was gone. Anouk explained this to her a  
million times, but she still didn't get it. How could he just leave?  
Was it her fault that he left?

"You'll find another kangaroo, right? She asked Anouk. Anouk shook her head.  
  
The family stopped walking when they heard shouts.  
  
"You aren't welcome here! We saw the boat! They're river  
rats!" Children were gathering around them, throwing fruits and  
leftover bread.  
  
"Hurry!" Roux pushed them to walk faster. They ran into an  
abandoned barn, people pounding on the doors and the walls. "Another  
town part of the Boycott Immorality group I see." He said  
disdainfully. "We'll have to leave."  
  
Vianne shook her head. "No, I changed one town, I can change another.  
I'm not leaving until they give up. It's one or the other."  
  
Roux sighed. "You're going to stick to this, aren't you?" He muttered.  
  
Vianne smiled half-heartedly and walked towards the barn doors. "When  
I'm done, there won't be any more Boycott Immorality to worry about." She said confidently.  
  
"How can you be so sure?" Roux said, fingering Sarah's hair roughly.  
  
"Because," She said. "Chocolate can work miracles."


	2. The Seller of Chocolates, the Seller of ...

**_"Prejudice"_**  
  
**Chapter 2**  
  
The next week moved swiftly for Vianne and her family. Though no one would kindly rent them a place, they did find one man who begrudgingly opened the doors of his run-down shop next door for them. Vianne began to work, doing what she had done in Lansquenet.  
  
By the end of the month, the new Chocolaterie was open, though no one would stop by and buy any chocolates.  
  
One morning around eight o'clock, someone stood by the display window, staring in fearfully as if the devil himself were inside.  
  
"Care to try any samples?" Vianne said from the doorway, making the onlooker jump. She peered both ways before stepping closer to Vianne.  
  
"I'm not supposed to be here you know." She said. "I was sent to see if you were perhaps a spy from an enemy country? But I can see you're not. So I'll go."  
  
"No please, come inside." Vianne said, smiling. She looked the woman over, taking in all the details.  
  
This woman was tall and slim, and she had a beautiful figure. Her eyes were a strange mixture of brown and what seemed like almost a red color. Her hair was brown with reddish highlights and her skin was an olive color.  
  
"Please, just one taste of my chocolates. I already know what you're favorite is." The woman looked skeptical, but followed Vianne inside anyway. She sat down at the counter and Vianne handed her a tiny gold box.  
  
"Open it, it's your favorite."  
  
"How do you know?" The woman asked her.  
  
"Just trust me...I have a knack for guessing peoples favorites."  
  
"Except mine." Came Roux's voice from behind her, making her jump. "She couldn't guess mine for her life." The woman smiled with uncertainty and put the chocolate in her mouth.  
  
"It's excellent." She said when she finished it. "What was that one?"  
  
"It's an ancient Mayan chocolate, although I'm not sure of the name. It's a hollow milk chocolate ball with a dark chocolate and raspberry drizzle on top. I knew it was your favorite."  
  
"How?" The woman asked.  
  
"That's my secret." Vianne said, grinning widely. "What did you say your name was?"  
  
"I didn't, but it's Veronique."  
  
"That's a lovely name, Veronique."  
  
"Thank you. But I must be going. I'm not supposed to be here. Your shop is lovely. Thank you for the chocolate. I'll pay you some other time." Veronique rose, but before she could leave Vianne stopped her.  
  
"Please, don't bother with the money. But tell whoever sent you that I'm not an enemy. I'm just the seller of chocolates, the seller of small dreams. I'm here to help you, all of you." Vianne finished, and let Veronique leave, closing the door behind her.  
  
"They're going to need a lot of convincing, I can see." Roux said, coming up behind her.  
  
"More than the ones in Lansquenet, at any rate." Vianne replied.  
  
"We'll manage." Roux said, sitting on a stool at the counter. Vianne only nodded.

* * *

Veronique ran down the street to the council meeting that was in order.  
  
"Monsieur!" She said to the man who was leading it that night. "I've been to the Chocolaterie. She's not a spy."  
  
He eyes her suspiciously. "Well what is she then?" He asked.  
  
Veronique paused for a moment, and then answered, "She is the seller of small dreams." 

* * *

**A/n: Ah yes, the long awaited second chapter of Prejudice. I have no idea where this story is going, but don't expect anything soon, because I'm going away for a month starting tomorrow. But I will write, mark my words. Thankie to all my reviewers.**


End file.
